Portable garment rack and blank therefor

ABSTRACT

A portable garment rack is disclosed which can be stamped from a blank, bent into shape and releasably mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge. The rack is a rigid unitary planar body generally in the form of an elongated right triangle. A recess is disposed in the long side of the right angle forming the triangle and extends from a point near the outer apex of the triangle to a point along the long side spaced from the short side of the triangle. Hinge pin engaging means is associated with the short side of the triangle for engaging the hinge pin of the door hinge and maintaining the rack in a fixed position relative thereto with the plane of the body extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the pin. Aperture means are formed in the body of a shape and size so as to provide continuous flat rigid body portions of substantial width along the long side and hypotenuse of the triangle connected by rigid flat body portions of substantial width parallel to the short side of the triangle.

United States Patent [191 Vogelhuber et al.

- [54] PORTABLE GARMENT RACK AND BLANK THEREFOR [75] Inventors: Fred W. Vogelhuber; Heather Vogelhuber; Gilman C. McMillan, all of San Jose, Calif.

[73] Assignees: Fred W. Vogelhuber; Heather Vogelhuber'; Gene D. Moss, part interest to each 221 Filed: Aug. 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 174,713

[52] U.S. Cl ..211/96, 211/105.1 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 5/08 [58] Field of Search..211/168, 96, 86, 87, 123, 60 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 543,916 8/1895 Wharfe ..248/2l5 UX 782,738 2/1905 Faust ..248/215 [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 56,230 5/1967 Germany ..2l1/105.1

Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Attorney-Oscar A. Mellin et al.

I [57] ABSTRACT A portable garment rack is disclosed which can be stamped from a blank, bent into shape and releasably mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge. The rack is a rigid unitary planar body generally in the form of an elongated right triangle. A recess is disposed in the long side of the right angle forming the triangle and extends from a point near the outer apex of the triangle to a point along the long side spaced from the short side of the triangle. Hinge pin engaging means is associated with the short side of the triangle for engaging the hinge pin of the door hinge and maintaining the rack in a fixed position relative thereto with the plane of the body extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the pin. Aperture means are formed in the body of a shape and size so as to provide continuous flat rigid body portions of substantial width along the long side and hypotenuse of the triangle connected by rigid flat body portions of substantial width parallel to the short side of the triangle.

14 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR3 ma 3.724677 H T R VOGELHJER GILMAN C. MCMILLAN M M r- I ATTCRNEYS PORTABLE GARMENT RACK AND BLANK THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to garment racks; and, more particularly, to a rack which can be stamped from a blank, bent into shape and releasably attached to the hinge pin of a door hinge and receive garments in hanging relation thereon.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been found that hanging facilities for clothes may be conveniently provided by utilizing hinges of doors as means for supporting devices from which clothes-supporting clothes hangers may be suspended. Generally, such devices include a plurality of interrelated parts which cannot be manufactured in an economical manner. Also, certain of these devices do not have sufficient strength to support a large amount of garments nor permit the garments being suspended to be spaced from one another a sufficient distance to prevent bunching or the like. Finally, certain of these devices include parts thereon which either interfere with the normal operation of the door to which the hinge is attached or do not prevent interference of the clothes hangers thereon with the door or hinge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a portable garment rack which can be stamped from a flat unitary blank, bent into shape and releasably mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a rack spaces garments hanging therefrom from each other in a manner preventing bunching or the like.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a rack which does not interfere with the normal operation of the door to which the hinge is attached.

It is an even further object of this invention to form such rack in an economical manner resulting in a rack of desired strength yet light in weight.

These and other objects are preferably accomplished by stamping a portable garment rack from a blank which is bent into shape and releasably mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge. The rack is a rigid unitary planar body generally in the form of an elongated right triangle. A recess is disposed in the long side of the right angle forming the triangle and extends from a point near the outer apex of the triangle to a point along the long side spaced from the short side of the triangle. Hinge pin engaging means is associated with the short side of the triangle for engaging the hinge pin of the door hinge and maintaining the rack in a fixed position relative thereto with the plane of the body extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the pin. Aperature means are formed in the body of a shape and size so as to provide continuous flat rigid body portions of substantial width along the long side and hypotenuse of the triangle connected by rigid flat body portions of substantial width parallel to the short side of the triangle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which the garment rack of our invention is to be formed;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view of the completed rack of our invention;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the rack of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rack of our invention mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an important feature of our invention; and

FIG. 6 is a partial vertical view of the rack of FIG. 2 showing a plurality of hanger hooks thereon.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a blank It) is shown which has been preferably stamped, in any suitable manner, from a sheet of an appropriate light-weight twisting-stress-resistance material such as aluminum plate. As can be seen, the blank 10 is flat and unltary and preferably is in the general form of a right triangle having a long side 11, a short side 12 and a hypotenuse 13. The overall length L of the blank it) is about ll inches, while the width W is about 3 inches, for reasons to be discussed further hereinbelow.

Blank 20 includes a plurality of spaced apertures 14 through 17 on the face thereof. These apertures are preferably circular and vary in diameter from the short size 12 (i.e., the widest portion of the blank 10) to the apex of the triangular blank 10. For example, aperture 14 could be about 1% inches in diameter; aperture 15 could be about 1% inches in diameter; aperture 16 could be about seven-eighths inch in diameter and aperture 17 could be about five-eighths inch in diameter. These diameters and the spacing between apertures 14 through 17 (and their location on blank W) are selected to make blank 10 as lIght in weight as possible while maintaining the maximum overall strength thereof. In addition, the apertures are preferably circular so that the spacing therebetween is related to the.

function of the blank 10 when used as a garment rack, as will be explained further hereinbelow.

The outer apex of the triangular blank 10 is in the form of lip 18 which, when blank 10 is subsequently formed into the garment rack of our invention, is upstanding with relation thereto. A recess W extends from lip 18 to shoulder portion 4ll along long side Ill. This distance X is generally about 2 inches; i.e., the distance from the shoulder portion M of recess 19 to short side 12 is generally about 8% inches for reasons to be discussed further hereinbelow.

A plurality of grooves 20 through 23 extend along long side 11. The distances Y between the midpoints of these grooves 20 through 23 and the midpoint of an adjacent circular aperture M through 117 are generally equal so that the same distance between the apertures and grooves is maintained along the entire blank 10. This distance Y is preferably between about threefourths and seven-eighths inch.

The hypotenuse 13 of blank W includes a first generally straight portion 23a, then curves inwardly at R thenincludes a generally straight portion 24 which curves outwardly at R, to form lip H3. The radii of blank 10 at points R and R are generally equal. In this manner, two such blanks 10 may be stamped from a single sheet of material along the lines of their hypotenuses with relatively little loss of such material. That is, a second blank would have a hypotenuse corresponding to the hypotenuse of blank 13 (although reversed in orientation) and could thus be stamped from the same sheet of material. This would result in a considerable savings in material and ease in manufacturing.

Blank includes a cutout portion at short side 12, the radius of which is selected to result in increasing the lightness of weight of blank 10 while maintaining the maximum overall strength thereof (e.g., about a 1- inch radius). A pair of tabs 26 and 27 also formed along short side 12 and are separated by a cutout area 28. Score lines 29 and 30 indicate where tabs 26 and 27, respectively, are to be folded or bent to form the completed garment rack of our invention. These tabs are preferably about five-eigliths inch in length for reasons to be discussed hereinbelow.

Finally, short side 12 also includes a generally circular tab portion 31 which includes a centrally located hole or aperture 32. Tab portion 31 is preferably about seven-eighths inch in diameter while aperture 32 is preferably about one-half inch in diameter. When stamped from tab portion 31, aperture 32 includes a downwardly extending circumferential cylindrical lip portion 33 (FIG. 2) for reasons to be discussed further hereinbelow. The distance Z (FIG. 2) between the outer diameter of lip portion 33 and the outer periphery of tab portion 31 is preferably about one-sixteenth inch. Blank 10 is also scored along score line 34 (FIG. 1) to indicate where tab portlon 31 is to be folded or bent to form the garment rack of our invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2 With further reference to the blank 10 of FIG. 1, a completed garment rack 35 is shown. As can be seen in FIG. 3, tabs 26 and 27 are bent in opposite directions along score lines 29 and 30. Tab portion 31 is bent along score line 34 in a direction whereby lip portion 33 extends toward tabs 26 and 27.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the operation of the garment rack 35 of our invention will now be described. The head of a hinge pin 36 of a door hinge 37 is shown. Hinge 37 is connected to a door jamb 38 and a door 39 as is well known in the art.

The selection of preferred dimensions for certain portions of blank 10 should now become obvious. The heads of conventiOnal hinge pins generally have a diameter of about one-half inch. The aperture 32 and its associated lip portion 33a generally has a diameter of about one-half inch. Actually, this latter diameter is slightly greater than the diameter of the head of the hinge pin 36 so that as shown the lip portion 33 of aperture 32 fits a short distance down over the head 36. At the same time, tabs 26 and 27 abut against opposite sides of the hinge 37 to provide a firm support for garment rack 35. (The overall length of short side 12 is at least less than the overall length of hinge 37.) In this manner, rack 35 extends in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin 36. The lenGth of these tabs 26 and 27 bear against the hinge 37 as shown but are short enough not to interfere with the movement of door 39 and long enough not to slip off sideways. In addition, the space Z, FIG. 2, is as small as possible to prevent interference with the normal operation of hinge 37.

A portion of the hook 40 of a conventional coat hanger or the like is shown in FIG. 4, which hanger may be of wire, plastic, wood or any suitable material. Generally, however, conventional wirelike coat hangers are about 16 inches in overall length (or about 8 inches from the midpoint to one side thereof). Thus, as shown, hook 469 rests in recess 15. Lip 18 prevents forward movement of hook 40 out of recess 19 while shoulder portion 41 prevents rearward movement. When hook 40 abuts against shoulder portion 41, the main body portion 42 (FIG. 5) of the coat hanger could swing sideways, i.e., generally parallel to rack 35. However, since the overall length L of rack 35 is about 11 inches, the distance L from shoulder portion 41 to the hinge pin 37 is about 8% inches and the distance from the midpoint of hook 40 to the end ofhanger body portion 42 is about 8 inches, the hanger (and any garments hanging thereon) does not interfere with the normal operation of the hinge and door and door jamb to which it is attached.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of hooks 43 through 45 of like hangers are shown disposed along rack 35. For example, hook 43 is hooked into aperture 15 and, by gravity, rests on the midpoint of the bottom of circular aperture 15. I-Iook 45 in like manner rests on the midpoint of the bottom of circular aperture 14. Hook 44, on the other hand, rests in groove 22 and seeks generally the midpoint of the bottom thereof. As discussed hereinabove with respect to the blank 10 of FIG. 1, the distances between hooks 44 and 45 on one hand and hooks 43 and 44 on the other are about equal. This distance corresponds to distance Y in FIG. 1 which, as discussed above, may vary between about three-fourths and seven-eighths inch. In this manner, generally relatively equal spacing between hangers is maintained along rack 35. Thus, there is no interference by clothes or the like on one hanger with those on an adjacent hanger (i.e., a hanger in aperture 14 next to a hanger in groove 22, for example).

It can be seen from the foregoing that we have described a portable garment hanger which can be readily and economically stamped from a blank of a suitable material, then quickly folded or bent into the desired shape for releasably mounting it on the hinge pin ofa door hinge. Such a hanGer is manufactured in a manner making it as light-weight as possible but of maximum strength and of sufficient dimensions to support a substantial amount of garments thereon without interference with the norMal operation of the door and its associated hinge.

Although specific preferred dimensions have been indicated, obviously such dimensions could vary greatly. In any case, however, the dimensions selected should result in a rack which securely attaches to most conventional door hinges without interfering with the normal operation thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. A portable garment rack adapted to be releasably mounted on the hinge pin ofa door hinge comprising:

a. a rigid, unitary planar body generally in the form of an elongated right triangle with the long side of the right angle which forms said triangle defining the upper edge of the rack;

b. a recess disposed in the long side of said right angle and extending from a point near the outer apex of said triangle to a point along said long side spaced from the short side of said triangle;

c. hinge pin engaging means associated with the short side of said triangle for engaging the hinge pin of said door hinge and maintaining said rack in a fixed position relative thereto with the plane of said body extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of said pin;

. aperture means formed in said body of such shape and size as to provide continuous flat rigid body portions of substantial width along the long side and hypotenuse of said triangle connected by rigid flat body portions of substantial width parallel to the short side of said triangle, said aperture means comprising a plurality of spaced generally circular apertures extending along said planar body, said apertures being evenly spaced from one another along said body and progreSsively varying in diameter with the greatest diameter adjacent said short side to the smallest diameter adjacent said apex, and

e. a plurality of grooves extending along said long side, one of said grooves being disposed between each pair of adjacent apertures, the distance between the midpoints of each of said grooves and the midpoints of the adjacent apertures being substantially equal, whereby the distance between the apertures and grooves is uniform throughout said body.

2. The rack of claim 1 wherein the overall length of said rack is at least about 11 inches and the distance from the end of said recess closest to the short side of said triangle to the short side of said triangle is about 8% inches.

3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said body includes an upstanding hook at the outer apex of said triangle.

4. the rack of claim 1 wherein said hinge pin engaging means includes a generally cylindrical loop portion integral with said body at the right-angled apex of said triangle, the axis of said cylindrical loop portion being parallel to said short side.

5. The rack of claim 4 wherein the inner diameter of said loop portion is about one-half inch.

6. The rack of claim 4 wherein said hinge pin engaging means further includes a pair of tabs integral with said body at the junction of the short side of said triangle and the hypotenuse thereof and extending in opposite directions at an angle outwardly away from the plane ofsaid body to thereby form a V at the intersection of said tabs with said body.

7. The rack of claim 6 wherein said tabs are about one half inch in length and extend at an angle of about 45 with respect to the plane of said body to form an angle between said tabs of about 90.

8. The rack of claim 6 wherein the short side of sald triangle is undercut inwardly toward the outer apex of said triangle between said tabs and said loop portion.

9. The rack of claim 4 wherein said cylindrical loop portion includes a downwardly extending peripheral lip of generally the same inner diameter as said loop portion.

10. The rack of claim 9 wherein the inner diameter of said lip and said loop portion is about one-half inch and the distance between the outer diameter of said lip and the outer periphery of said cylindrical loop portion is about one-sixteenth inch.

11. The rack of claim 1 wherein said grooves are disposed between said adjacent apertures in a manner such that the distances between any one of said grooves and the midpoint of the bottom of an adjacent circular aperture is between about three-fourths and seveneighths inch.

12. A blank for forming a portable garment rack comprising: rack;

a. a rigid unitary planar body of material generally in the form of an elongated right triangle with the long side of the right angle which forms said triangle defining the upper edge of the rack b. the long side of said right angle having a recess therein extending from a point near the outer apex of said triangle to a point spaced from the short side of said triangle;

c. a plurality of spaced generally circular apertures formed in said body extending from adjacent the short side of said triangle to adjacent the outer apex thereof, said apertures being evenly spaced from one another along said body and progressively varying in diameter with the greatest diameter adjacent said short side to the smallest diameter adjacent said apex;

. a generally circular loop integrally formed in said body at the intersection of said short side with said long side, said loop having a fold line at approximately the junction of said loop with said long side;

e. a pair of spaced tabs integrally formed in said body at the intersection of said short side with said hypotenuse, said tabs including fold lines generally parallel to said short side at approximately their junction therewith; and

f. a plurality of grooves being disposed and extending along said long side, one of said grooves being located between each pair of adjacent apertures, the distance between the midpoints of each of said grooves and the midpints of the adjacent apertures being substantially equal, whereby the distance between the apertures and grooves is uniform throughout said body 13. The blank of claim 12 wherein said short side includes a cutout portion extending inwardly toward the outer apex of said triangular planar body between said tabs and said loop.

14. The blank of claim 12 wherein said hypotenuse includes a first generally straight portion forming one side of one of said tabs and extending from its junction with said short side, then an inwardly curved portion, then a second generally straight portion, then an outwardly curved portion to form a lip at the outer apex of said triangle, the radii of said curved portions being generally equal to each other. 

1. A portable garment rack adapted to be releasably mounted on the hinge pin of a door hinge comprising: a. a rigid, unitary planar body generally in the form of an elongated right triangle with the long side of the right angle which forms said triangle defining the upper edge of the rack; b. a recess disposed in the long side of said right angle and extending from a point near the outer apex of said triangle to a point along said long side spaced from the short side of said triangle; c. hinge pin engaging means associated with the short side of said triangle for engaging the hinge pin of said door hinge and maintaining said rack in a fixed position relative thereto with the plane of said body extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of said pin; d. aperture means formed in said body of such shape and size as to provide continuous flat rigid body portions of substantial width along the long side and hypotenuse of said triangle connected by rigid flat body portions of substantial width parallel to the short side of said triangle, said aperture means comprising a plurality of spaced generally circular apertures extending along said planar body, said apertures being evenly spaced from one another along said body and progreSsively varying in diameter with the greatest diameter adjacent said short side to the smallest diameter adjacent said apex, and e. a plurality of grooves extending along said long side, one of saId grooves being disposed between each pair of adjacent apertures, the distance between the midpoints of each of said grooves and the midpoints of the adjacent apertures being substantially equal, whereby the distance between the apertures and grooves is uniform throughout said body.
 2. The rack of claim 1 wherein the overall length of said rack is at least about 11 inches and the distance from the end of said recess closest to the short side of said triangle to the short side of said triangle is about 8 1/2 inches.
 3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said body includes an upstanding hook at the outer apex of said triangle.
 4. the rack of claim 1 wherein said hinge pin engaging means includes a generally cylindrical loop portion integral with said body at the right-angled apex of said triangle, the axis of said cylindrical loop portion being parallel to said short side.
 5. The rack of claim 4 wherein the inner diameter of said loop portion is about one-half inch.
 6. The rack of claim 4 wherein said hinge pin engaging means further includes a pair of tabs integral with said body at the junction of the short side of said triangle and the hypotenuse thereof and extending in opposite directions at an angle outwardly away from the plane of said body to thereby form a V at the intersection of said tabs with said body.
 7. The rack of claim 6 wherein said tabs are about one half inch in length and extend at an angle of about 45* with respect to the plane of said body to form an angle between said tabs of about 90*.
 8. The rack of claim 6 wherein the short side of saId triangle is undercut inwardly toward the outer apex of said triangle between said tabs and said loop portion.
 9. The rack of claim 4 wherein said cylindrical loop portion includes a downwardly extending peripheral lip of generally the same inner diameter as saId loop portion.
 10. The rack of claim 9 wherein the inner diameter of said lip and said loop portion is about one-half inch and the distance between the outer diameter of said lip and the outer periphery of said cylindrical loop portion is about one-sixteenth inch.
 11. The rack of claim 1 wherein said grooves are disposed between said adjacent apertures in a manner such that the distances between any one of said grooves and the midpoint of the bottom of an adjacent circular aperture is between about three-fourths and seven-eighths inch.
 12. A blank for forming a portable garment rack comprising: rack; a. a rigid unitary planar body of material generally in the form of an elongated right triangle with the long side of the right angle which forms said triangle defining the upper edge of the rack b. the long side of said right angle having a recess therein extending from a point near the outer apex of said triangle to a point spaced from the short side of said triangle; c. a plurality of spaced generally circular apertures formed in said body extending from adjacent the short side of said triangle to adjacent the outer apex thereof, said apertures being evenly spaced from one another along said body and progressively varying in diameter with the greatest diameter adjacent said short side to the smallest diameter adjacent said apex; d. a generally circular loop integrally formed in said body at the intersection of said short side with said long side, said loop having a fold line at approximately the junction of said loop with said long side; e. a pair of spaced tabs integrally formed in said body at the intersection of said short side with said hypotenuse, said tabs including fold lines generally parallel to said short side at approximately their junction therewith; and f. a plurality of grooves being disposed and extending along said long side, one of said grooves being located between each pair of adjacent apertures, the distance between the midpoints of each of said grooves and the midpints of the adjacent apertures being substantially equal, whereby the distance between the apertures and grooves is uniform throughout said body .
 13. The blank of claim 12 wherein said short side includes a cutout portion extending inwardly toward the outer apex of said triangular planar body between said tabs and said loop.
 14. The blank of claim 12 wherein said hypotenuse includes a first generally straight portion forming one side of one of said tabs and extending from its junction with said short side, then an inwardly curved portion, then a second generally straight portion, then an outwardly curved portion to form a lip at the outer apex of said triangle, the radii of said curved portions being generally equal to each other. 